


The First Mission

by Phoenix_Rose



Series: A (Marginally Secret) Sorcerer on Her Majesty’s (Marginally Secret) Service  …Plus a prat of a Field Agent (Prince) [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 05:09:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13159938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Rose/pseuds/Phoenix_Rose
Summary: Despite being a well-oiled machine now (well, most of the time) Merlin Myrddin and Arthur Pendragon weren’t always so… amiable.  On their first mission, for example…Well.  Let’s just say that there were unfortunate amounts of… vulgarities.





	1. Cover




	2. Story

“Agent Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Myrddin, report to Uther’s office immediately.”

 

Arthur blanched as his name rung out over the tannoy system.  Normally, being summoned to his father’s office wasn’t too bad, but after a fortnight with his new handler… that had changed.  Myrddin, as it turned out, had a way of changing things.  For example, he’d changed his sister Morgana into a mushy, hot-chocolate providing ‘adoptive mother’ right from the day she’d met him.  He’d also managed to become the only person who Gaius would allow to hang around the medical room without an injury (but, then again, he was Gaius’ nephew).  And, most importantly, he’d had a rather dramatic impact on Arthur’s list of people who annoyed him, as in,  he’d jumped straight to number one.  And, as the number one name, Arthur had asked him to help with training practice.

 

_ Myrddin looked gratifyingly nervous as Arthur looked him over.  Clad in a too big helmet and uncomfortable armour and wielding only a poorly balanced sword (it was traditional, and Arthur had always had a knack for sword fighting) and heavy shield, he was rather literally shaking in his scuffed boots. _

_ “Ready?” Arthur asked him, pretending to care. _

_ “Would it make any difference if I said no?” Myrddin said shakily, adjusting his grip on the practice sword and attempting to glare intimidatingly at Arthur. _

_ “Not really.” _

 

_ Arthur grinned to himself and went on the attack, “body.”  Myrddin blocked clumsily with the sword as Arthur carried on, “shield.  Body.  Shield.” _

_ “Shield,” Myrddin puffed, holding it up with a shaking arm.  Arthur disagreed. _

_ “Head.” _

_ “Head?”  Myrddin yelped as Arthur’s dull sword hit on his helmet with a dull clang, “ow.” _

_ “Come on, Myrddin,” Arthur smirked, “you’re not even trying.”  He caught the boy’s back, chuckling at the startled “ah!” and glare.  “Once more,” he assured. _

_ “Oh, no,” he groaned, “Pendragon-” _

_ “To the left.  To the right.  And left.”  He nodded in a sarcastic approving manner as Myrddin awkwardly met his slashes.  Clearly, he needed another reminder of what to do.  “Head.” _

_ “Ow!”  Myrddin glared at him.  Arthur smiled. _

_ “Come on, Myrddin!  I’ve got a country to defend.  I’m sure you’ve just enough brain in there to remember that, seeing as your job is to try and not kill me.” _

_ Myrddin made a noise that sounded something like, “I’d help them kill you,” before looking nervously at Arthur’s effortless flourish of the sword. _

 

_ “Can we stop now?  Ow!” he growled frustratedly and decided on damage control, shouting out, “shield.  Body,” to try and anticipate attacks. _

_ “Shield,” Arthur decided. _

_ “Shield,” Myrddin repeated, his arm shaking under the blow, “ah.” _

 

_ Arthur hit him sharply over the head.  Finally giving in, Myrddin toppled backwards, his helmet rolling off with a depressing clang.  Arthur looked down at him with reluctant, well-hidden amazement (the one ex-handler he’d practised with had collapsed after the first blow - clearly Myrddin was braver than he looked, though that was still rather cowardly).   _

_ “Is it over?” Myrddin groaned pitifully, raising his head. _

_ “That was just the warm-up,” Arthur smirked.  “How’s your mace work coming along?” _

_ Myrddin sighed, letting his head fall back to the training room floor. _

 

Though the training practice had been beneficial, Arthur had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn’t go down too well with the posse of mollycoddling fools Myrddin had (somehow) managed to acquire.  He had hoped that his father was immune, but Uther had summoned them only a day after.  It was surely too much of a coincidence.  

What if he ordered an apology?  Arthur didn’t think he could stand to grovel to the boy.

 

Merlin stood somewhat uncomfortably in Uther Pendragon’s office, chancing a sour look at Pendragon the younger as one of his copious bruises throbbed angrily at him.  He hadn’t been able to think of any reason why they might have been summoned - he’d hoped, fruitlessly, that their fortnight of squabbling and the training incident might have convinced Uther to change his mind on Merlin being Pendragon’s handler (how it was a reward, he still did not know).  As it turned out, Pendragon the younger was being given a mission.  Which meant that Merlin was going to be handling him.

Oh, joy.

 

“Mary Collins,” Uther announced, pointing at an elderly woman projected onto a screen behind him, “wanted for the murder of Helen James.  We suspect that the murder was revenge for Helen reporting Collins’ son, Thomas, for sorcery.”

Merlin nodded solemnly.  He remembered hearing about Thomas Collins when he first came to live with Gaius; he’d been reported for sorcery by his old school ‘friend’, the singer/songwriter Helen James.  He’d been interrogated, which was basically the death sentence.  Merlin wasn’t really surprised that his mother had sought revenge - the only surprising fact was that it had taken two years.  With a guilty start, Merlin realised that he’d daydreamed through most of Uther’s briefing.  No matter, he knew what he had to do.  Sit on the comms and provide routes and intel for Agent Pendragon so that the prat didn’t get himself killed.  Simple.

 

“Just sit there and stay quiet, Myrddin,” Arthur growled as soon as they left.  He’d seen the boy daydreaming, even if his father hadn’t - he wasn’t letting anyone that badly focussed have any kind of responsibility.

“And get fired?” Myrddin asked incredulously, glowering at him, “no thanks.  Make sure you listen to what I say, Pendragon.”

Yeah, right.

 

Merlin drummed his fingers on the desk, having checked and double-checked the cams, CCTV access, comms, and everything involved.  He stopped abruptly as Gaius shot him a look.  Still, he was bored.  Pendragon was driving to where Collins was supposed to be, and he wasn’t one for chatting.  Plus Merlin didn’t want to  _ chat  _ with such an ass as him.  With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and spun around a few times.  Gaius glared at him again.  He stopped.

Finally, thank god, Pendragon pulled up at the place.  This was where Merlin had stuff to do.  He clicked through CCTV feeds, searching thoroughly for Collins until, “got her.  Take the street straight ahead, turn left… no, right, sorry.”

“ _ Myrddin _ ,” Pendragon said irritably.

“I  _ said  _ sorry,” Merlin insisted.  “Anyway.  After the right, straight ahead until the first left, and-” he cut himself off with a swear.

“And?”

He shook his head, “hang on.”  He followed Collins as she ran.  She went in one direction, then the complete opposite way, and then into a large office building.  He didn’t have to patch himself into those CCTV cameras to know that she’d started killing the people who didn’t get out of her way fast enough.

 

“She’s in the office building.  She must have sensed you coming.”

“Myrddin, you incompetent buffoon.”

“How is it my fault?” Myrddin yelled irritatedly (and irritatingly).  “You’re the one she sensed!”

“You should have warned me she could sense people!”

“I didn’t know!  How could I know?  No one told me that-  Arthur Pendragon don’t you dare.”

 

Arthur smirked to himself - Myrddin could clearly see him through one of London’s many CCTV cameras.  Which meant, of course, that he had seen him remove the comms device from his ear and look contemplatively at a nearby puddle.

“Arthur Pendragon, you prat,” Myrddin’s yelling sounded distantly through the comm, “if you drop that comm in the puddle I’ll-”

_ Static filled Merlin’s ears and he tugged off his own comms, glaring at the smug blond through the camera.  “That bastard!” _

The voice stopped as Arthur dropped the comm in the puddle.  He smiled to himself - blissful silence. Finally.  Grinding it under his heel for good measure, he looked up at the building where Mary Collins had concealed herself.  He always had worked best alone - she didn’t stand a chance.

 

Merlin flung out an arm, gesturing dramatically to the Pendragon on the computer screen.  “...and he just threw it in a  _ puddle _ , Morgana!  A puddle!  So now I’m stuck with visuals only and nothing to do.”  He turned back to the screen, flicking through cameras and missing Morgana’s quiet giggle.  “Honestly,” he said as he surveyed the fourth room, “I don’t know how you…”

The fifth room was wrong.  

The people were slumped over their desks and computers, with cobwebs growing rapidly over their sleeping (he hoped they were sleeping) forms.  And of course, in the middle, surveying her chaos stood Mary Collins.  Merlin had a horrible feeling that the moment Pendragon entered that room he’d be afflicted, too, and be very easy to kill.  And, though he had said he’d let him die (he’d deserve it, the git), it would probably make Uther angry at him.  But how on earth was he meant to alert Pendragon it time?  He groaned, “oh, for god’s-  Gaius!”

 

_ Blissfully unaware of the trap, Arthur walked carefully into the first room.  Empty. _

 

“I don’t know,” Gaius said worriedly, “it’s impossible to talk to him without his comms.”  It was a testament to his concern that he didn’t complain when Merlin swore violently, though he did raise an eyebrow.

“Is there any way of getting a message to him at all?”

Gaius paused, thinking hard, but he didn’t seem optimistic.  Merlin groaned; he’d never enjoyed doing the impossible.  It was  _ hard _ !  With a look to Gaius (who helpfully shooed people out of the room to give him space to think), he racked his brains for an idea.

 

_ The second and third rooms were empty, too. _

 

Computer wizardry and actual wizardry had always been Merlin’s particular talents (though he couldn’t exactly mention the latter).  Which was why, when Pendragon walked into the fourth room, the computer screen immediately facing him sported a large, unmissable message.

 

Arthur stared at the computer screen that met him as he entered the fourth room.

_ Pendragon, Mary Collins is preparing a trap for you RIGHT NOW.  If you value your life, don’t go a step further.  Please nod to tell me you’ve understood and await further instructions. _

“Wha- how?”  Myrddin had  _ no  _ access to those computer screens; how in god’s name could he get a message to Arthur?  But, if there was a trap, now was hardly the time to question Myrddin doing the impossible.  He spotted the camera in the corner of his eye and grimaced.  He really didn’t want to take orders from  _ him _ .  Still, it seemed he had to.  He nodded (slowly).

_ Good.  Collins has a spell that’s activated through her singing - Gaius found that out for me - that puts anyone who’s too close to her to sleep, and if you fall asleep she’ll kill you. _

Arthur nodded in understanding.  He didn’t know how the spells worked but it sounded plausible.  He looked up to the camera; perhaps Merlin - since when was he Merlin?   _ Myrddin  _ \- doing the impossible included finding a way to get audio on him, “so what do I do?”

_ You’re lucky I can lip-read.  Some prat made sure that there isn’t an earpiece for us to talk through. _

Arthur rolled his eyes at Merlin, smirking slightly.  He could picture the man glaring at him, maybe complaining to his admirers about the ‘prat’ he had to handle.  No doubt Morgana would yell at him later, but it was rather amusing at the moment.

_ What you’re going to do is follow my instructions to the letter, understood? _

He grimaced again.  He  _ really  _ didn’t like following orders, especially not from idiot’s like Merlin (again with the first name?) and he  _ really  _ didn’t like the fact that he was going to have to.  With another exaggerated grimace and plenty of hesitance to emphasise his displeasure, he nodded.

_ Good.  See the tablet on the desk?  You’re going to need to borrow that so I can talk to you. _

 

Merlin chuckled at Pendragon’s exaggerated disgust at following his orders.  Still, he followed the order in question fairly quickly.  With a little bit of wizardry (computer and regular) his words were projected on the much smaller screen, and the plan was put in place:

  * Agent Pendragon will go to the room and _not_ enter.



_ Arthur snuck to the door, hoping desperately that Mary Collins was too caught up in laying her trap to sense him again. _

_ (Merlin watched Pendragon go to the door, knowing that Collins would be too caught up to sense him - her spell was very powerful but, luckily for  _ _ Arthur _ _ Pendragon, very complicated and distracting.) _

  * Agent Pendragon will shoot a bullet into the room to scare her into not singing.



_ Pendragon’s bullet shot in as quick and startling as a lightning bolt.  Merlin smiled reluctantly when it worked.  Apparently, the prat was going to manage it.  That was probably good.  The paperwork he’d have to do if he died didn’t bear thinking about. _

  * Whilst the target is distracted, Agent Pendragon will do what needs to be done (whilst Merlin Myrddin looks away).



_ It was quick, at least.  It hadn’t been thirty seconds from the first distracting bullet when Merlin heard the second one, and he knew from the fact that people were waking that it had met hit its target.  He kept his eyes firmly away from where he knew the elderly corpse of Mary Collins was depositing blood on the wooden floors, pale and slightly nauseous at the thought.  He distracted himself with his idea of an amusing joke: “Congratulations, 007.” _

_ Arthur chuckled despite himself as Merlin’s truly dreadful joke appeared on his screen.  With a nod to the security camera in the corner, he said, “thanks, Q.” _

 

Merlin discovered, when Agent Pendragon returned, that it was altogether more difficult to mindlessly hate someone who he (begrudgingly, despite all the arrogance) respected; Mary Collins was… formidable.  Arthur had been… brave to take her on, and obviously had some skill to manage her.  Merlin had gone to greet him - he had to collect the equipment used - but they’d found themselves stood in awkward silence.

Arthur looked evenly at the uncomfortable looking Myrddin.  He did have to admit - however reluctantly - that Merlin wasn’t as incompetent as he’d previously appeared.  By all rights, it should have been impossible to access those screens, and by all rights, Arthur should have been lying snoozing or dead at Collins’ feet.  Still, he wasn’t going to tell him that.

“So, Pendragon,” Merlin said finally, deciding that unless he did it the silence would never be broken, “gonna admit that you needed me?”

I don’t know what you’re talking about,” came the stiff reply.  They both smirked to themselves.  “But thanks… Merlin.”

Merlin blinked in surprise, “you’re welcome… Arthur.”


End file.
